Chapter 70

I stood up and turned around, and the scout and the guy next to him, who looked like a front-liner, immediately stood up.

"What's with that face? Brat..."

"Got a problem, parasite?"

I walked up to the table where they were sitting,

'Brat getting cocky—'

and before the scout could say anything more, I punched him straight in the face.

The scout tumbled over the table and rolled to the other side.

It seemed I had knocked him out with one hit, as he didn't even make a sound.

"You bastards... Are you looking down on the 'Apple Family'?

What, you got a problem with that?"

I questioned them in the outlaw tone I've been cultivating from my recent explorer activities.

I was tired and my throat was parched, yet they were causing me trouble.

The front-liner's face turned red with anger.

"You did that, you brat!

Hey, you guys, let's surround him and take him down!"

A tank-like front-liner on the left, a mage on the right, and a swordsman across the table...

I kicked the front-liner in the stomach, and when his body formed a 'C', I kneed him in the jaw.

Lately, as I've been dealing with idiots who start fights, I've gotten a feel for how much force to use to just cause a non-fracturing injury.

The tank, who was so soft that I wondered if he was actually a mage, crumbled easily.

He was clearly not used to being hit.

At that moment, the guy who looked like a swordsman leaped over the table and tried to kick me.

But he was incredibly slow.

Even if he was drunk, his body strengthening training was so poor that he was barely better than a civilian.

Compared to that, even the crude and fat rat named Benz would be a better level.

I grabbed the leg that was slowly kicked out and hung him upside down.

The swordsman, caught in mid-air, fell backward, hitting his head.

Before strength, his motor skills were clearly not suited for a job that required physicality.

I then used a modified giant swing to slam him into the mage and threw him toward the next table.

It was a hassle, but I decided that it would be better to settle things quickly with those who looked down on us, so I could eat in peace.

*Crash!*

"What are you doing, brat!"

The six people at the table who had been ignored all stood up at once.

"Hey, don't ignore us, you bastards!

Did you think we didn't hear you?

Just because we were being polite, you got cocky...

'That wimp is the rumored mad dog? We can play with the Apple kids again tomorrow,' huh?

You're pissing me off when I'm tired.

I'll show you what happens when you look down on the 'Apple Family'—"

I activated my body strengthening to the max and instantly approached the guy at the next table over, who had just said we were being looked down upon, and slammed him onto the table.

"I'll show you!"

◆

"Is there anyone else who wants to say something to 'Apple'?"

After explaining the rules to those who looked like they were looking down on us, I asked the floor.

Confirming there was no response, I tried to return to my table, but the old men who had incited the fight were ignoring me and drinking happily.

Ojiki had already finished a 2-liter keg of beer and was drinking mine as well, with another one on the way.

"That's not fair, Ojiki!

I'm thirsty too!

You could at least wait for a toast, right?!"

"Hmph.

It's because you were slow.

I told you to punch them quickly."

Pans, who brought two more kegs, said,

"You're a disappointment...

But.

You are a customer of this bar.

Feel free to come whenever you like."

I thought I would be reprimanded for the fight, but instead, I was recognized as a customer...

Is this bar okay?

"Hmph.

We don't bring diapered brats to a bar where explorers gather."

"Even so, the master decides who is a customer.

So, who will pay for the broken dishes?"

Hearing that, Ojiki smiled in a dandy way and raised his thumb.

"Of course, it's Ren who broke them."

...

"Stop it, baldy!

You were the one who incited me, and now you're saying that's not right!

In a situation like this, you should pay with a cool line like, 'This is a job for adults...'!"

"Shut up!

I told you to punch them, not break dishes!

You broke the dishes, so you pay for them!

That's the etiquette of a proper explorer in a bar!"

"I'm poor!

You're an S-rank, so you must have a ton of money, right?!"

"I don't keep money overnight."

The bald man proudly puffed out his chest.

An S-rank explorer is broke?

More like a useless old man...

I glanced at Ojiki.

His eyes seemed to meet mine, but his face looked like he was in a different universe, void of any emotion.

There was no sign that he would offer to pay.

"Seriously...

Not only did Ojiki make a hole in the nest, but I lost a knife and used expensive arrows?"

I slumped in disappointment.

Then, Ojiki snapped his fingers as if he had just remembered something.

"By the way, we were coming back from a hunt today!

Hey, Saki.

It was a 30-meter high, 150-meter diameter nest under construction.

There were a lot of soldiers because it was night, but most of them are already crushed.

I plan to collect them tomorrow, but how much will it be worth?"

Saki answered without hesitation.

"From the queen's honey sac, it seems to be a medium-sized nest.

Considering the soldier ants' carapaces, honey sacs, and the number of cocoons, after deducting the labor costs for collection, it should be around 100,000 reals, right?"

100,000 reals for a few hours of work! That's over ten million yen in Japanese currency!

It was equivalent to the amount I had saved over two months of hard work for the Geography Research Club, through knight and explorer activities.

It's a job that a B-rank explorer party should take on with proper preparation...

I at least wanted to cover the expenses and the cost of the dishes...

As I was stunned by the amount, Ojiki smiled in a dandy way and raised his thumb.

"I don't keep money, so you can take the full amount.

In return, you're buying drinks for everyone today!"

"Wait, 100,000 reals?

Are you sure?!"

"Yeah, I'd just lose it all gambling anyway.

Besides, I took the queen's honey sac as a souvenir for Pans."

No way!

"Thank you, Ojiki!

I'll follow you for life!"

As I cheered up, Ojiki nodded and raised his voice.

"Hey! Ren's buying drinks today!

You guys, drink up!"

...Is he buying for the whole bar?

But the atmosphere in the bar was heavy after my recent rampage.

Surely no one would drink without restraint in this situation—

"Wow!!

You're a mad dog, alright!

Waitress, five more kegs of draft beer!"

"You're as crazy as your spending!

I'll take a bottle of Driella, ice, and glasses for everyone!"

But to my surprise, even those I had thrown around were happily placing orders.

What a bunch of simpletons...